7.2.3.4Vertical

Radioactive & Nuclear Waste Management

Licensed companies managing low-level radioactive waste.

Market snapshot

These figures describe Hazardous Waste Management (7.2.3), the segment that Radioactive & Nuclear Waste Management sits within. They are not figures for Radioactive & Nuclear Waste Management on its own.

Market size
~$12B
Growth
~2.5%CAGR (2017–22, nominal)
Companies
~713 firms
Firms by employee count

71.4% of firms have fewer than 20 employees: 509 micro-businesses, below most mandates.

The investable universe204 firms with 20+ employees
20–99
11054%
100–499
4020%
500+
5426%

The slowest growth in the segment but the highest barrier to entry: permits take years and attach to a site, so capacity cannot follow demand quickly. Cradle-to-grave liability means customers change providers rarely, which makes the revenue exceptionally sticky.

NAICS 562112, 562211. U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Statistics of U.S. Businesses; U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Economic Census.

Business model & economics

Revenue model

Hazardous-waste collection, treatment, and disposal fees

Key economics

Revenue per firm
$17,132,327
Revenue per employee
$285,819
Employees per firm
55.0
Recurring revenue
High

recurring regulated-waste service

EBITDA margin
Strong

permitted-infrastructure economics

Capex intensity
High

Characteristics

  • Balanced cost base: payroll is 26% of revenue, leaving room to scale margin without cutting staff
  • Moderate strategic-buyer pool: 54 firms exceed 500 employees, so a scaled asset has buyers, but not many
  • Consolidated around hazardous-waste majors.
  • Permitted facilities create high entry barriers.
  • PFAS and emerging contaminants a growth driver.

NAICS 562112, 562211. U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Statistics of U.S. Businesses; U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Economic Census.

M&A deal context

Deal activityModerate

Who’s acquiring

  • Hazardous-waste majors
  • Environmental-services strategics
  • PE-backed waste platforms

What’s driving deals

  • Regulation- and compliance-driven demand.
  • PFAS and emerging-contaminant treatment.
  • Permitted-infrastructure consolidation.

Find Radioactive & Nuclear Waste Management acquisition targets

Search Acquisera’s index for companies classified under Radioactive & Nuclear Waste Management (7.2.3.4) and build a targeted deal pipeline.

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